Every state in the country has ongoing campaigns about the importance of using seat belts. In many states, you can even get ticketed for not wearing one. According to studies, a considerable percentage of the U.S. population doesn't wear seat belts on a regular basis. Those who do use seat belts each and every time assume that they're going to be safer than those who don't. Unfortunately, things don't always turn out that way. Although it's rare, seat belt failure can and does occur. All too often, seat belts fail due to negligence during the manufacturing process or faulty design. If you've been a victim of seat belt failure, it's critical to protect your rights; Law Offices of Gary Green can help.

Recalls Tell the Tale of Seat Belt Failure

You would think that car manufacturers would go to special lengths to ensure that the seat belts in their vehicles work properly and are designed well. Based on the types of recalls that have been made over the last decade or so, that clearly isn't always true. In 2000, for example, GM and Ford recalled more than 300,000 vehicles due to concerns about seat belts that were unlatching at random. In 2005, GM also recalled more than 425,000 vans whose seat belts weren't latching properly. In short, seat belt design flaws are legitimate causes for concern.

Have You Been the Victim of Seat Belt Failure?

If you were injured in an accident when your seat belt failed in some way, it's important to know that you have rights. At Law Offices of Gary Green, we assist clients like you on a regular basis. Whether the webbing of your seat belt tore, your seat belt became unlatched or your belt's retractor failed, the people who are responsible need to be held accountable for your pain and suffering.

Seat Belt Failure and You

When designed well and used properly, seat belts can be absolute lifesavers. Of the approximately 35,000 people who die in car accidents in the U.S. each year, about 50 percent of them could be saved by buckling up their seat belts. If you do the right thing and use your seat belt whenever you're on the road, you expect to be as protected as possible. By bringing seat belt failure issues to light, you may be able to help others avoid pain, suffering or even death. Contact Law Offices of Gary Green today to get started on your case.

There are too many motor vehicle wrecks where adults are unscathed but infants, restrained in child safety seats, are seriously injured. Child safety seat changes and auto industry changes to the way those seats are installed do not yet correspond. There are hundreds of injuries every year from child restraint systems that are negligently manufactured or installed in cars not designed to safely accept them.

A recent survey found that 80% of child restraint systems are installed incorrectly, not by fault of the parents! There are now seven major types of seatbelts that should correspond with all the countless child-seat designs, but they do not. Many seatbelt systems now require special modifications to ensure safety. Most specifications for seat belt/child restraint systems' safety go back to when bench seats were used, and the seat belt anchors were located at the rear of the seat bight (the crack in the seat). Seat belt anchors in today's cars are rarely behind the seat bight, and more commonly are located on a stalk or otherwise situated significantly forward of the bight.

The manufacturers of these products have known for years that their products do not fit in many cars and have failed to take responsibility to prevent children from being injured or killed by their unsafe products. It has been established since the early 1980s that seat belt anchors in front of the seat bight create a compatibility problem between child restraints and automobiles. In addition, child restraint system manufacturers typically do not warn about which autos their products are not compatible.

There have been some tremendous strides made in the last few years in fixing this long-standing compatibility problem between child restraints and automobiles. For example, child restraints made after September 1998 requires certain safety features that were not previously mandatory, such as

• A lower anchorage system that can be clipped into anchors in automobiles
• Securing the child restraint system at the bottom tightly against the seat without using the automobile's seat belt
• Reducing the child restraint system's head excursion limit by 3 1/2 inches.

All child restraint systems manufacturers complied by installing a tether on the top of the restraint that hooks to the back of the auto seat. But, the attachment hardware to hook up these new child restraint systems features in vehicles has been phased in. And, it is only just this year that new car models are required to have a lower anchorage attachment and an attachment to secure a child restraint tether on top.

In the meantime, there will be many years to come of injuries to children from child restraints in automobiles manufactured earlier. The manufacturers are leaving the old restraints on the market and not recalling them for their failure to comply with current safety standards!

If your child was injured or killed in a child restraint that you believe was used properly, there is a good chance that you are not to blame, and that the product itself is primarily to blame for what happened. Call Law Offices of Gary Green toll free and without obligation at 1-888-442-7947 or send us an e-mail at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .